Friday: end of the week

It's the end of a crazy week.  We're about to start another one, that I think will be crazy in a different and better way.

It was the last day of swimming lessons.  Isaac did fine.  He didn't progress as much as I had hoped, but maybe part of that is just that we're not in a pool all that much.  His sunglass goggles helped a bit and he wasn't quite as adverse to going under water as last year.  He also wears his goggles in the shower.

Joshua refused to get in.  The poor guy didn't get as much sleep as normal this week and is giving up naps and I think it was just a bit too much.  I counted calmly to 10 and then handed him in.  Once he was in he did ok.  He wasn't in the mood for everything but somewhat participated.

After a quick lunch it was cleaning time.  I have a lot of things crossed out on my list now; just a few things left for tomorrow morning.  Joshua didn't really participate, but also didn't deter.  He just played with Duplos.  And took a nap.

We had some problems getting the mower started tonight. :p  We finally got it though and I finished up the lawn.

Thursday: groceries

Today was grocery day.  A bunch of people are coming to our house next week, so I decided to bite the bullet and go to multiple grocery stores.  Usually I go to one per week.  If it is a week with mostly basic stuff, I go to Aldi.  If it has additional odd stuff, I go to Meijer.  Aldi is cheaper and much faster.  Meijer has more selection and donuts.  Anyway.  I called in reinforcements (Aunt C) because I was not going to go grocery shopping with two kids to three stores.  They all had a good time playing together and I finished all the grocery shopping in a little bit longer than a normal/large week.

It seems as though we now have enough food for an army, but my guess is that we'll have a lot of some things left over and need to go to the store for a few additional items.  It's hard to estimate how much food is needed.  I tried to get only things that we will eat after everyone leaves and that can last a while or be frozen.

Ok.  I have a grocery store rant though.  I've had this rant for a while and think about it every time I'm buying 12 packs of pop.  I usually plan on putting it on the blog, but then something more interesting happens and I forget.

Why are the boxes stacked on their sides so that I can't put my hand in the shelf, pop down the thingies to make the handle, and easily pull the box out of the shelf?  If it was stacked that way, I could get two at a time.  But they are stacked on their sides, so it takes me two hands to get one box and it's awkward to maneuver.  I just don't understand.

Joshua: 34 & 35 months

Joshua turned 35 months today.  I didn't do a 34 month update, but I did take pictures so I'll post the best of those today too.

(34 months)

colors:  he knows his colors, although orange and yellow sometimes get mixed up.  His favorite color is green

Numbers: I heard him count to 20 today, missing a few in the teens.

Alphabet: he can say many letters and sings some of the ABCs, but can't identify many letters.  We were talking about J and he remembered Joshua Jellyfish from school.

(35 months)

Dressing: he's getting better at dressing and undressing, but he still likes help or at least to be near Ben or me.  He's also much better about getting his sandals on, although shoes are still a bit hard.  He freaks out if one of the velcro straps comes undone.

Sleeping: Although he sleeps well at night (8pm-7am), he is in the process of quickly giving up naps.  He naps maybe once every three or four days.  It has made for a very tired boy some evenings.

Playing: The kid loves to play.  He makes things out of Duplos - birthday cakes, robots, port-a-potties.  I've eaten a lot of cake lately.  He's been enjoying playing with marbles and his science beakers.  He likes books.  He likes being a puppy dog and tells people that is what is name is.  He really likes to play with Isaac.  They have played together a ton the last few weeks.  There has been so much laughter (most of the time).  There is also a lot of running and roaring.

Eating: he still rarely eats his vegetables, but at least it is rarely instead of never now.  Treats after a meal are slowly starting to work better.  He love banana bread and donuts.

Screen time: he likes "playing" MarioKart with Ben and watching shows.  Paw Patrol is near the top, with Inspector Gadget as a new favorite.

Tuesday: port-a-potty

Amanda: I'm done grading!
Joshua: Now you can work on your port-a-potty!  I brought you all the pieces.

Ben, via e-mail: looks like it might be life-sized.


Today also included building the Eiffel Tower by Isaac.  (And knocking it down.)

And swimming lessons.  Joshua kept talking about Miss Annie, who is really Miss Anna and so it took me a while to figure out what was going on.

There was a new teacher today..
NT: what's your name?
Joshua quietly says something.
NT: Puppy Dog?  Did he say puppy dog? (looking at me questioningly.)
A: Probably.
Old teacher: that's what he told me yesterday too.
Nearby mother: my son did the same thing and didn't grow out of it until he was seven.

Monday: blah

Today was not one of our awesome days.

It started out fine...a little extra driving for an errand and then swimming lessons.  The day was cold (an expected high of 63 or so), but the pool heater was turned on and no one was shivering.  Isaac said he liked these better than the ones last year, although he missed the free time from last year.  Both boys had lessons, each a half hour long.  I like the half hour lesson.  Just when I'm ready to be done it is almost time for the lesson to be done too.

We made a quick Meijer run and got home.  The carpet cleaner was coming!

Joshua did not enjoy the carpet cleaner.  It was noisy.  Isaac asked a lot of questions though.  But our play space was limited and it was cold outside and Joshua was clingy and I was tired.  Argh.  We finally made it through, and the boys had their screen time and I had my nap.  It didn't help as much as normal though.

We had an hour before we had to leave for dinner.  I had two ripe bananas, so we decided to make banana bread.  However, I had no eggs.  Last grocery shopping trip I had two egg containers.  Well, one container had three eggs and one container had one egg and we used them all up.  (Luckily, there was a small grocers next to the restaurant, but it was still one more thing.)  While Isaac had been pretty good throughout the day, he often asked something and I'd give him an answer he didn't like.  So he'd ask again.  And again a bit later.  Most days I might not have noticed it, but today it drove me up the wall.

The boys did make a fort tonight and played, but they didn't seem to be having as much fun as last night.  I gave them a 10 minute warning earlier (although still way after their normal bedtime) and they said they were ready for bed then.

Sunday: carpets

Tomorrow the carpet cleaner is coming.  This means that a lot of furniture has been moved.

The basement is once again an ideal place for running.
Isaac was sleeping on his bed in the living room, and Joshua wanted to do the same.

As Ben was coming downstairs he heard Isaac tells Joshua, "we can talk!"  We went up a few times to make sure that everyone was still happy (i.e., no one was trying to go to sleep), but we heard tons of giggles and laughter.  At one point they had opened Isaac's special drawer and were playing with all the toys in it.  Usually there is a "no toys in bed" policy, but it turns out I just didn't care today.  They were having fun with each other and that is something I want to encourage, even if it is breaking the rules and way past bedtime.  At 10pm, two hours after bedtime, I did tell them it was time to go to sleep; I need them to be functional in the morning.

However, there was talk of a blanket over the beds for tomorrow night.  I think that sounds like a lot of fun and will probably let them do it. :)

Saturday: Herrickfest

The other day someone asked me what I did in the summer.  I mentioned a few things, including that the library has a ton of stuff to do.  I realized how true that is this week: Wednesday was storytime, Thursday was Bubbleman, Friday was Sensory Time at a different library, and today was a party put on by the library.  A bunch of the local associations come with fun (and free!) things for kids to do.

It was a bit cool...by the end of the second hour Joshua was very cold and ready to go home, although I expect the Popsicle didn't help any.  It was a ton of fun though; we'll have to go again next year.

It started with a tractor ride.  It was relatively long, and the tractor went in some tight circles.  Isaac wanted a green barrel.

We got looked at some rocks.  We took apart (and put together, somewhat) a keyboard.  Joshua slowly but surely plugged away at the number keys.  (Joshua also mentioned tonight that we shouldn't take apart our play keyboards.)

We did a photobooth and the pictures came out ok.  Then some fishing.

Then I gave in and let them have their treat.  I should have waited until we were a bit more ready to go, as it was the beginning of the end.  Oh well.  The boys were really looking forward to the treat.

This evening I finally got a picture of them in their puppy pajamas.  The pajamas are new and are a hit!

Friday: lunch sounds

Today was the last lunch in the fort; it stayed up longer than I really wanted it to, but it provided so much entertainment.

Here are the sounds from lunch today.  The video is nothing...it's really just for the audio.   It was like this the whole time.

Thursday: Biking, bubbles, and banners

We rode our bikes around the lake today.  It was a short ride, as they go, but I changed Isaac's training wheels from a little wobbly to very wobbly.  At first I was 'afraid' that he wouldn't really feel the difference, but about 1/3 of the way around he had a good balance.  It was probably only a second or two, but enough that we both realized it.  I was glad because now he at least knows what is good balancing.  (It turns out training wheels are loud.  It is a great thing, because then you know if you're balancing.  I never realized that about them before.)

We went to a bubble program through the library.  We saw a square bubble. (Link.  See bubble wonders library life interview, 1:19).  At story time yesterday it was mentioned that someone would get to be in a bubble, and Isaac mentioned several times that he wanted to be in a bubble.  He sat near the front but was not chosen.  I told him at the end if he was patient he could ask the presenter when most of the people had left, although the presenter might say no.  Well, Isaac was able to get in a bubble.


Joshua did it too.

It was a noisy afternoon and evening.  The boys played together a lot, but that also meant there was a bit more bickering than normal this afternoon.  They were also loud.  It got on my nerves, but I think that was more my problem than theirs.  They were playing some chase game in the evening that they were loving and they were happy and entertained, but I was also very glad to put them to bed.

Here are the banners.  They're really streamers, but the alliteration in the title was nice.  Isaac wanted to do this last summer and I finally got around to it.  Joshua said that they tickled.

Wednesday: fort

Isaac made a fort today, right around lunch time.  I was too big to get in it and I didn't push the point as I wasn't really sure I wanted to get in it.  I told the boys that if they made a spot where they could eat they could have lunch in there too.

By the end of the day it had a gazillion toys and a light.  But they were happily entertained for a large chunk of the day.

Monday: birthday party

Today was Isaac's half birthday party.  He's 5 1/2.  It's a bit early, but next week we're rather busy.

He took decorating his lemonade cake very seriously.  There were a gazillion sprinkles on it.

We decorated.

And people came!  The menu was spicy hot dogs (and other sausage and bratwurst), pineapple, crunchy beans, and chips.

I had the table set up outside for dinner, but a half hour before hand the temperature felt like it was dropping and the rain chance was rather high and it was windy.  I think moving inside was a good plan, but it was a bit warm.

He also got several presents he was very excited about.

Sunday: Happy Father's Day

Today was a rather normal day; I didn't do anything too special for Father's Day even though there are great dads all around me.

Today was a perfect puddle day though.  There are several requirements for a perfect puddle day...
1. There needs to be a puddle.  Usually this means it needs to have rained recently.
2. It can't be too cold out.  (Having number 1 and 2 at the same time is surprisingly hard.)
3. We need to be on our way home and not really in a hurry.

We played some Legos, as normal.

We got together with Ben's family for dinner.  Our gift to Larry was some Miracle Berries...they are supposed to block the sour sensors in your tongue for a limited time and change the taste of food.  They worked pretty well, although not everything changed quite as much as I was hoping.  Sour Patch Kids tasted completely sweet.  Strawberries were delicious and tasted like they were coated with a bit of sugar.  Grapefruit was good.  The lemon and lime were still tangy, but edible.  Bitter stuff didn't change at all like I was hoping.

Saturday: strawberries

We went to pick strawberries this morning.  We almost didn't go because it finally rained last night and it looked like there might be a little more rain coming.  The boys decided that they still wanted to go.

Isaac had his winter boots on, and it was a good thing.  There were dryish paths, but I don't think I could have kept two kids' feet mostly not wet.  It didn't rain while we were there, so that was nice too.

We didn't get a ton of strawberries, but it was still a nice outing.  And these strawberries are delicious!!  It was well worth the trip.

We gave Ben his Father's Day present early.  (It was Legos, of course.)  So we spent more time in the basement working on our sets.

Friday: this and that

Isaac made a duplo machine this morning while I was making curry.
(Joshua is playing on a big piece of brown paper in the background.)


Then we went to close beach.  We took a kayak, which was really a rather nice way to get there.  We almost left after about a half hour because I was done playing "look for tiny rocks in this big bucket of sand."  However, the boys started pouring water into a hole near the top of the beach and watching how it went down.  Then Isaac made some channels.  An hour later we finally left for home.

We received a delivery and the box was coming apart.  I finished taking the box apart to make sure all the pieces where there (they were).  The boys can't resist the lure of a box though.

Thursday: rumba

Isaac finally finished cleaning his room for the week (although to be fair, it was a weird week).  So it was time to rumba.

Isaac was excited to play "keep away from the rumba."  He invited Joshua to come play too.  They closed the door.

Fifteen minutes later I hear, "Joshua, do you want to ride the rumba?"  I went down to the basement.

Fifteen more minutes pass, and they come out of the room.  Isaac's hair is wet; he played "keep away from the rumba" so hard that he got all sweaty.

****
Joshua got to see Dad before picking up Isaac at science camp.  He got to see the robot wheel, something that we had told the kids last time that they might never get to see.  (The accelerator is now called "robot wheel," because that's apparently the coolest part of it.)  When the robot wheel moved, his mouth opened in amazement.  Then he got to move the robot wheel with the buttons.  He proceeded to take advantage of the time without Isaac by asking what every piece of equipment did.

Isaac was very jealous that Joshua got to see the robot wheel and he didn't.

****
Aunt C stopped by to add some more flowers.  She hollered goodbye to Isaac.  Isaac ran outside to find her and they talked for a while on the porch.

Wednesday: Joshua's special thing

We looked for my dad again today before we picked Isaac up from camp.  He was gone, so we continued on our way.  (I'll admit, it would have been nice to see him, but I think Joshua really likes to push the buttons on the elevator without his brother.)  We stopped by the VanKley musuem to look at the fish.  There was someone inside, so we got to go in.

Amanda: Look at me.
Joshua: all the fish are looking at you!

Do you see all three Nemos?

Here they are again.

We looked at the other animals too but didn't spend much time as it was about time to get Isaac.

Isaac: today we got to use chemicals.  Real chemicals!
Amanda: really?  Did you use them or the teachers?
Isaac: I did!
Amanda: what did you use?
Isaac: lemon juice, milk, dish soap.  We put a piece of paper in them
Amanda: oh, did you test the pH?
Isaac: what's pH?
Hmm...hopefully they just used different terminology and it wasn't that Isaac completely missed what was going on. :D

Tuesday: afternoon

Isaac has a chemistry science camp at Hope most afternoons this week; that's his special afternoon activity.

Joshua's special afternoon treat has been going say hi to Dad after dropping off Isaac.  We found Dad yesterday, but not today.  So we tried again after picking up Isaac.  We managed to find him and both boys got a treat and got to push assorted buttons for the accelerator.

Monday: the day

This morning we had a pest inspector come to look in the attic; a few night ago I heard an animal.  The boys were interested in what she was doing, and she said she was going to see if there were any animals in the attic.  Joshua said, "Monkeys?" with a hopeful lilt.  "No," she replied, "although that would make my job more interesting."  "Elephants?" Joshua tried next.  "I think those would probably have fallen through the ceiling," she responded.

It turns out we have some bats.  Not many.  Good since bats aren't too bad for anything, but they're rather expensive to get rid of.

We played outside for a bit after that.  Joshua wanted to bounce some balls.  Isaac made an elaborate sidewalk chalk obstacle course.

There were lots of lasers, arrows and bombs to jump over.  Then there was a section where I had to answer jokes correctly.  Things like, "how did the chicken cross the road?"  (It flew.  I got it wrong.)  "How did the chicken get in a jam jar?" (It got jammed.  I got it wrong on a technicality.)  "How did the chicken get on top of the house?"  (It jumped.  I received partial credit for saying it flew.)  I eventually only responded with "it flew" and so the questions changed so that I gave the right answer.  Then I had to do the chicken dance before I reached the end.

What else...Isaac has a science camp this week.  He seemed to enjoy the first of four days.  (Although he was sad not to get quiet time and ipad time today.)

Sunday: Legos 2

Here's the quarry Ben made for the digger a while back.  We've moved most of the sets to a different area, but wanted to get a video of it even if the digger wasn't there.  (Ben and I have been taking pieces from it for the various sets we're putting together.  So far we've managed to get it back together, but there will be a day it doesn't work.)

Here are Isaac's machines.  When you only have a few together they work well; when we tried to put them all together it was just a little much.  Maybe we'll make them again when he's older and can fiddle with them a bit more.  (The video isn't great.)

Ben finished the Saturn 5 rocket.  It was supposed to be a gift for him, but we have two boys that like to do Legos too.  However, it worked out really well...there was a lot of repetition, so Ben did two parts and Isaac would do two parts of the same thing.  Ben found it very interesting to put together.

(We've cleaned up recently, but you can see some bins in the background.  We finally gave in and sorted all the Legos by color.)

Joshua has enjoyed helping me, although we haven't spent as much time working on ours.

And one more of Joshua helping Ben.